High Dose Vitamin C in Cancer Therapy
Introduction
High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C therapy is the administration of high doses of vitamin C directly into the bloodstream through a vein. It has known Antiviral, Anti inflammatory, Antibacterial, Antifungal & Anticancer properties. While it is acknowledged that intravenous Vitamin C is not “Standard Medicine”, it is widely used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of many chronic diseases including cancer.
The use of IV Vitamin C as a complementary or alternative therapy for cancer has been a subject of research and discussion for quite a while now. Some studies suggest it’s potential in cancer treatment while others say the claims are false & misleading, offering those who are diagnosed, a sense of “false hope”
This is why in this article I am going to explain the research behind High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C as a monotherapy (standalone treatment) or as a combination therapy (alongside chemotherapy, radiation and/or other treatments) against cancer.
My Experience
Just like all conventional cancer treatments, it is not a “one sized fits all”. While some have achieved great success others have not.
I personally did not have any success with IV Vitamin C but having said that I never had success with multiple chemotherapies either, by success I mean (shrinkage or stunting the growth of tumors), but many people, some of who I have personally met, truly stand by this treatment & swear by its benefits in conjunction with conventional treatments or as a standalone treatment with more natural approaches.
I believe it is essential to consult with your oncologist and have an honest conversation with them if you are thinking about trying IV Vitamin C or any alternative/complementary therapy for that matter. A good oncologist will listen to you with open ears about alternative/complementary treatments and give you their personal opinion & advice. And if they are unaware of the research educate them !
Discovery of Vitamin C as a Potential Cancer Treatment
Vitamin C’s benefits were first discovered by a Scottish naval physician, James Lind, back in the 1700s. During this time “scurvy” was the leading cause of deaths for sailors. People back then did not know how to treat or cure it, until James Lind found out that consuming citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges (high in vitamin c) prevented & cured the sailors deficiency.
However it took almost two more centuries for a Hungarian biochemist, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, to isolate the compound ascorbic acid, commonly known as Vitamin C.
Due to its success with scurvy and positive effects on the immune system many physicians and practitioners became intrigued by this compound and began studying its effects on cancer patients.
It began over 60 years ago when Canadian physician William McCormick observed that cancer patients often presented with severely low levels of vitamin C in their blood and featured scurvy-like symptoms, leading him to hypothesise that vitamin C might protect against cancer. This encouraged Ewan Cameron (Surgeon) & Linus Pauling (Double Noble Prize Winner) to conduct a very small clinical trial. The findings concluded improved quality of life & 4 fold increase in mean survival in cancer patients. (18)
Other studies showed similar results, until the world renowned Mayo Clinic decided to do a double blind randomised clinical trial that showed no positive results for cancer patients at all. The problem with this study was that the vitamin C was only taken orally, at a much smaller dose & at a much shorter interval leading to less potency than previous clinical trials.
To this day, there are clinical trials & studies happening to discover the potential of Vitamin C in treating different types of cancers. Most clinical trials involving Vitamin C & Cancer have been funded by private donations or government grants. The main reason being, the pharmaceutical companies do not have a financial incentive to pursue such studies as natural substances such as vitamin C are not patentable.
Hopefully in the future there will be a change to this and more studies will begin looking into, not only Vitamin C, but other less harmful treatments that have positive results !
Vitamin C Vs Cancer
When high doses of Vitamin C enter the body it turns into Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) acting as a pro-oxidant against cancer. Cancer cells are much less efficient at removing hydrogen peroxide than normal cells of the body due to less or lack of an enzyme called catalase. Therefore, cancer cells are much more prone to cell death / damage from High Dose Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also structurally related to glucose & uses the same uptake mechanism as glucose making it efficient at entering cancer cells.
Intravenous Vitamin C has not just been shown to induce oxidative stress in cancer cells but studies now show it to be a Multi Targeting Agent meaning it targets many of the mechanisms that cancer cells utilise for survival and growth.
Studies have shown these mechanisms in action as a standalone treatment and as a combination therapy with chemotherapies, radio-therapies, immunotherapy’s, inhibitors, etc.
TERMS:
“In Vitro” refers to a study performed outside of a living organism. Ie; in a test tube, Petri dish
“In Vivo” refers to studies that are done within living organisms. ie; studies performed on mice
“Xenograft” is a a graft of tissue taken from one species and grafted into another species ie; human cancer grafted into mice
Intravenous Vitamin C has been shown to;
Suppress Angiogenesis (suppress the growth of new blood vessels in cancer cells) (9) (40)
Induce Tumor / Cancer Cell Apoptosis (Induce Tumor / Cancer cell death) (1) (3) (7) (20) (24) (28) (34)
Suppress Cancer Metastasis (suppress the spread of cancer) (5) (41) (42) (43)
Synergistic Anti-Tumor Effect w/ Certain Chemotherapies (29) (45) (49) (50)
Activates Tumor Suppressor Genes (Epigenetics) (33)
Enhances Tumor Radioresensitization & Chemosensitization (38) (39) (47) (48) (54)
Reduces Radiation Induced Normal Tissue Toxicity (reduces the damaging effects of radiation) (16)
Enhances Immunotherapy (15)
Allievates / Reduces Side Effects & Symptoms of Chemotherapy (10) (36) (46) (53)
Damages Cancer Cells Via Oxidative Stress (Pro - Oxidant) & (Reactive Oxidative Species ROS) (22) (23) (25) (8)
Selectively Kills KRAS & BRAF Mutated Cancer (2)
Prolongation of Survival Times in Cancer Patients (19) (32) (35)
Here are the “Three Case Reports” in Humans
** Be Aware: Each study uses different cancers and various different methods such as partnering Vitamin C with chemotherapies, immunotherapy’s, inhibitors, radiotherapies, different mutations, etc, as a mono-therapy (stand-alone) or use different subjects ie; in test tubes, mice, humans, etc.
Link to hundreds of studies HERE
(Once you click the link scroll to the bottom of the page & studies are numbered 1,2,3 etc)
Scientific YouTube Video HERE
National Cancer Institute on Vitamin C
High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C as a cancer treatment is affected by a range of variables, such as the type of cancer, different mutations & different pathways the tumor utilises.
Current evidence of the efficacy of high dose intravenous vitamin C in cancer patients is limited but In Vivo & In Vitro studies show encouraging results, as do small clinical trials in humans.
There is definitely a need for more extensive research and large scale controlled, double blind clinical trials to further investigate this highly promising, non-toxic cancer treatment to help us better understand the role of Intravenous Vitamin C VS Cancer as a potential complementary therapy or even as a stand alone treatment.
Liposomal Vitamin C
Oral Vitamin C administration is less effective than intravenous (IV), due to it’s inferior vitamin C bioavailability.
Although it is not as effective as intravenous, whilst undergoing IV Vitamin C treatment, I was recommended to take an oral version alongside it called Liposomal Vitamin C to maintain high levels of Vitamin C in my body.
The name liposome is derived from the two greek words; ‘Lipos’ meaning fat & ‘Soma’ meaning body.
Research shows that Vitamin C & other nutrients taken in liposomal form have higher bioavailability than those taken in the form of tablets and pills. So basically, it is the superior version of Oral Vitamin C products that you can take, but still inferior to Intravenous Vitamin C. (11) (12) (13)
Liposomes mimic our fat-based cell membranes & encapsulate the Vitamin C allowing the it to pass through the ‘stomach juices’ in the digestive (GI) tract undamaged, into the bloodstream and then directly into the cells of the body.
The Company I use - POREBSKI LIPOSOMES (Website)
Liposomal Vitamin C & Cancer Studies: (14) (37)
Are There Side Effects W/ IV Vitamin C
Studies show High Dose IV Vitamin C does not cause toxic side effects and is regarded as safe.
However, high doses administrated intravenously can lead to minor side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, bruising / swelling at cannula site, muscle cramps, headache, drowsiness and in very rare cases kidney complications or air embolism.
I personally did not experience any of these side effects and with constant monitoring by a professional these side effects shouldn’t happen or will be minimised / mitigated.
Advice: Dose, Duration & Pricing
If you are thinking about trying this treatment, only commence after you have had a full consultation, blood tests and any further tests with a licensed medical practitioner.
You should be supervised by a qualified IV nurse who will be administering the Vitamin C.
* The clinic I used in Ireland ‘DR Gabriel Stewart’s Clinic’ *
Generally, the dosage is done in ratio to a persons body weight. The Ratio is 1 Gram of Vitamin C for every 1 Kg of bodyweight.
Intravenous Vitamin C is quite expensive. 1 session receiving 50,000mgs or 50 Grams of Vitamin C was €220.
The length of the session varies from person to person. It usually took me 1hr - 1hr 30mins to complete the IV.
I hope this information has given you a further knowledge on High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C as a potential Cancer Treatment ! I have linked studies within this article for those who want to delve deeper into the scientific studies I have researched.
“Stay Healthy” 🍊